The Life of Pearl
by The Midnight Avenger
Summary: Pearl was born a kittypet and grew up a rogue. When she was young, her owners abandoned her. She had to teach herself how to fight and hunt in an unforgiving world. There were only a few cats whom she considered friends - until disaster strikes.
1. Prologue

_The sun hung lazily over the horizon,_ _casting pinkish-red light through the empty forest, and made the freshly fallen snow glimmer. Thin, ragged clouds scurried across the deep blue sky, pushed by a chill yet gentle breeze, the aftermath of an earlier snowfall. At the bottom of a ravine in the middle of the leafless oaks, three tomcats sat in a clearing ringed by thick foliage with their paws buried in the white blanket. Misty breath plumed from their frowning muzzles. Their pelts were fluffed up against the cold._

_One of the toms, a large brown tabby with dark green eyes, growled and rolled his powerful shoulders. "What's keeping him?" he snarled. "It's freezing out here!"_

_"Hush, Oakpelt," snapped a black tom with white eartips, his yellow eyes flashing. Oakpelt sneered, his short tail lashing, but he remained sitting._

_"He has a point, Blackstar," the third tom ventured, his fur a silvery shade of pale grey. Tabby stripes rippled down his back. "Foxfur hasn't left his den since sunhigh. Surely the rogue isn't that injured?" Blackstar huffed and tossed his wide head but didn't respond. The three cats sat in silence a moment longer, their whiskers twitching, until rustling at the opposite end of the clearing caught their attention. They turned to look as a group of four cats pushed their way through a narrow gorse tunnel._

_Blackstar got to his paws and bounded up to the patrol, a tortoiseshell she-cat in the lead. He licked her muzzle affectionately, and she nuzzled his cheek in return. "How'd it go?" he asked, addressing the group as a whole. A tabby tom stepped forward to speak, dipping his head respectfully._

_"All is well," he meowed. "ShadowClan and WindClan are staying on their sides of the border, although WindClan hasn't marked theirs recently."_

_Blackstar nodded. "That's good to hear. We can't afford to squabble over borders, especially now." He turned to the tortoiseshell. "Mossyfoot, a word please." Mossyfoot nodded, dismissed her patrol, and followed her leader to a quiet corner of the clearing next to a large, smooth boulder._

_"What is it?" she asked. The black leader glanced at a cluster of ferns, its entrance a tunnel shaded by the trailing fronds, and sighed._

_"Foxfur hasn't left his den since sunhigh," he rumbled, meeting and holding Mossyfoot's amber gaze, "presumably because of that rogue we found. I don't mind if the rogue wants to join our clan, but I also don't want Foxfur to exhaust himself trying to help her if she doesn't. I'm worried," he admitted, looking down at his inky paws. Mossyfoot was silent for a moment, her expression thoughtful, and then leaned forward to lick the tom's head. She placed a dappled, dainty paw over his large one._

_"Well, we'd better go check on them, then," she meowed softly. Blackstar nodded, a somber look in his eye, and the two cats padded towards the den. The black tom noticed Oakpelt and the grey tabby warrior he had been waiting with speaking to the returned patrol over freshkill from the pile._

_When he and the tortoiseshell walked through the fern tunnel, they were immediately flooded by the mixed scents of different herbs and seeds. Near the back of the cool, shady den, a ginger tabby was hunched over a small pile of herbs, his pelt like a brand of flame in the shadows. The tabby was quietly and unintelligibly muttering under his breath as he sorted leaves, seeds, and roots with lightening-fast white paws. Another cat could be seen curled up in a mossy nest, her creamy white flanks gently rising and falling._

_"Hello, Foxfur," Blackstar called, startling the tabby tom, who got to his paws and stepped away from his sorting._

_"Blackstar, Mossyfoot," meowed Foxfur, nodding formally to each cat. He tilted his head curiously, his pale green eyes glinting, and added, "It isn't often that both the leader and the deputy visit my den. What brings you?"_

_"The rogue," Blackstar replied simply. "We were concerned." The tortoiseshell deputy nodded to confirm his words. The medicine cat's eyes darkened and he flicked his large ears._

_"Well," he began, padding over to the slumbering form of the she-cat, "she was worse off then I originally thought. The cuts on her forehead and belly were very deep, and her fur covered a number of smaller bites and bruises. I was able to dress most of her wounds, but she could have an infection. She's lost a lot of blood; I'd be surprised if she made it through the night. I gave her poppy seeds earlier so she would be able to sleep comfortably." Blackstar and Mossyfoot exchanged a glance, silently communicating with their eyes. The tom padded up to Foxfur and stood beside him, looking down at the creamy she-cat._

_"Did she speak at all?" he asked._

_The ginger tabby nodded. "Nothing I could understand, though," he meowed. "Mostly she rambled on about things I can only assume are in the Twolegplace. She mentioned a cat called Ledge a couple of times, as well as one called Peak." Blackstar cocked his head._

_"Those aren't names you typically hear in the Twolegplace," he commented. Foxfur just shrugged and bent down to adjust the cobwebs binding the she-cat's wounds._

_"Well, Mossyfoot and I will leave you to your work," the black tom rumbled, getting to his paws and dipping his head to the medicine cat. The tip of the tabby's long tail twitched in aknowledgement. Blackstar exited the den, squinting in the sudden brightness of the snowy clearing, his deputy following close behind. As he headed toward the boulder on one end of the space, he called to his fellow warriors._

_"Oakpelt, Silvertuft, Redclaw, Thrushflight!" he roared. "Come with me to my den." Warriors appeared from dens, corners of the camp, and the gorse tunnel, responding to their leader's call. The four summoned cats fell in step behind the deputy and filed into a small cave draped with lichen below the boulder._

_Within the cave, it was cool and damp, the tendrils shielding the entrance filtering the red sunlight outside. Blackstar sat down in a moss nest, wrapping his tail around his paws, and the five warriors settled in a semicircle in front of him. For a moment, the six cats were silent, the leader staring at a spot on the roof of the cave thoughtfully while his warriors exchanged glances. Finally, a light brown tabby with green eyes spoke up._

_"What is it Blackstar?" he asked, drawing the black tom from his reverie._

_"Surely you didn't call us here just to sit with you," Oakpelt grumbled, earning himself a warning hiss from Mossyfoot. The dark tabby glared at her but made no further comments, knowing better than to backtalk to the deputy._

_Blackstar watched the exchange, his eyes glinting with amusement. "It's good to know you're as lively as ever, Oakpelt," he meowed mildly. The large warrior looked away as mirthful purring arose from his counterparts, his eyes darkening._

_"There is a reason why I've summoned all of my senior warriors," the leader went on. "As you all should know, earlier today we found a rogue unconscious on our territory. We took her to our camp, and Foxfur agreed to heal her. That was at sunhigh. Foxfur has not left his den since trying to help this rogue." Discontented rumbling filled the air, but Blackstar silenced it with a wave of this tail._

_"What are you proposing we do about it?" asked a reddish-brown she-cat gruffly, her dark eyes narrowed to slits._

_"Surely you won't let some rogue into our camp just to let them go," a long-furred silver tabby scoffed._

_"I am proposing," Blackstar replied, ignoring the silver tom, "that, if she chooses, she be allowed to join ThunderClan."_


	2. Chapter 1

Pearl's head snapped up as her own terrified screech echoed shrilly in her head, her cerulean eyes stretched wide. Immediately the gentle gloom of the flat surrounded her, comforting after the dank streets of her nightmare. With an effort, she slowed her rapid breathing and smoothed her bristling fur, the distressed pounding of her heart regressing into a steady rhythm. She gradually uncoiled her tense muscles, letting her body relax against the lumpy cushions of the couch she slept on. Gingerly she pulled her aching claws from the worn fabric.

The creamy white she-cat took a deep breath and rested her head on her paws, wishing for undisturbed sleep but knowing it wouldn't come. Her eyes absently followed the swirling paths of dust motes caught in beams of soft yellow light, cast through the closed windows by the streetlights outside. After a quiet moment, during which she tried unsuccessfully to fall back asleep, she stood and padded to the edge of the couch, her dainty paws sinking into it with each step. A neat leap brought her silently to the carpeted floor.

The grey bulk of the furniture loomed over her, making her feel tiny in comparison. Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, she slunk through the flat and found herself in the kitchen, aware of how starkly her pelt stood out. Plastic, cheerless bowls of tepid water and stale food awaited her. Briefly she stared at the reflection of her pale face in the clear water, wondering if the green in her eyes would ever overpower the blue. With a soft sigh that rippled its surface, Pearl crouched and lapped up a few mouthfuls, wrinkling her nose at the taste. Compared to the puddles she drank from during the day, her housefolk's water was bitter and metallic.

A long shadow fell across the square of artificial light on the floor beside her. Startled, she looked up and saw one of her four housemates, Teacup, silhouetted against the kitchen window. Her short, glossy pelt was darker than midnight, and a band of pure white fur wrapped around her neck, glowing in the dark. Her golden eyes were bright and hard in her inky face. Pearl nervously scrambled to her paws and tried to look dignified as the black queen leaped down from the windowsill. She stiffened as Teacup circled her once then sat down in front of her, pinning her under her fierce gaze. "What are you doing up this late?" she asked, her honey-smooth voice deceptively pleasant.

"I-I couldn't sleep," Pearl stammered. "Nightmares, you know."

"Yes. Nasty things, those." The older she-cat looked thoughtful. She tipped her angular head to one side, the gesture contrasting sharply with the intensity of her eyes. "Tell me, though, why you thought you could trespass without getting caught? Surely you must by now know that this is my territory."

"I'm really sorry Teacup," the creamy she-cat mewed quickly. "I guess I just forgot, with the time and all, and I wasn't really paying attention to the scents, since everything looks the same in the dark, but I really didn't mean to - " She closed her jaws with an audible _clack_, barely avoiding biting her own tongue, as Teacup motioned for silence with her long tail. Internally she cursed herself for rambling on like a fool in front of this regal figure. She tried not to squirm as the black she-cat searched her blue-green eyes, as if trying to find lies there. When she finally looked away, the fierceness in her eyes was softened by understanding and - was that sympathy in their amber depths?

"Perhaps I have been too quick to judge," she meowed thoughtfully, more to herself. "You just got here, after all. It was foolish of me to expect you to remember everything." Pearl blinked, surprised into silence by the dark queen's sudden change of heart. She flinched involuntarily as Teacup suddenly stood and flicked her ears. "Come," she ordered. Pearl scrambled to follow as she bounded off, afraid of losing her dark figure in the gloom; even her glowing white neck seemed grey and elusive in the creeping shadows of the flat. To her relief, Teacup didn't go far, stopping in the common room after a short dash. The younger she-cat stared longingly at the malformed couch, wishing she had never left its plush comfort. A faint smile curled the black queen's muzzle when she noticed the yearning in her bright eyes.

"What do you remember about this room?" she asked.

Pearl looked away from the couch and at the older she-cat. "This is neutral territory," she recited. "Any cat can come here and relax, and no cat may claim it as theirs." Teacup smiled approvingly, nodding for her to continue. "Well, whenever a new cat comes, they may sleep in this room until they claim one for their own. Which is me now, I guess," she added.

"Very good," her elder purred. The two she-cats' gazes briefly met, and Pearl realized that the steely look had recaptured her golden eyes. A shudder went down her spine. _She's only acting nice,_ she thought miserably. _She doesn't_ really _approve of me, not yet_. The creamy she-cat's whiskers drooped. Seemingly unaware of her crestfallen state, Teacup continued, "It would be ... advisory for you to stay in here at night, for your own protection." Her eyes flashed. "The others will not be so forgiving. _I_ will not be so forgiving. It won't matter what reasons you have; what will matter is that you're trespassing, simple as that."

Pearl nodded mutely. For a fleeting second, Teacup's eyes gleamed at her, and then she was gone. Bewildered by her sudden disappearance, the creamy she-cat crept to the couch and leaped atop it, her head and tail hung low. Her pelt burned with shame. She curled up in a tight ball, praying nothing else would wake her up, and forced her mind to go blank. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, her dreams mercifully absent for the rest of the night.

000

A paw roughly prodding her flank was what awoke her. Pearl blinked groggily, staring with blurred eyes at the broad grey face of Hutch. "Get up already," the tom growled, "unless you want to be stuck inside all day." The creamy she-cat struggled to her paws and shook the cobwebs of sleep from her head, squinting at the brightness of the morning. Her housefolk bustled about, scurrying between rooms. She opened her mouth to ask Hutch what was going on, but he was already padding toward the bedroom at the back of the flat. Pearl hurried after him, dodging around the Twolegs' large, clumsy paws, and wondered why he was surely invading someone else's territory; she remembered suddenly that her new housemates only became territorial when the sun went down.

When she entered the room behind the grey tom, she saw Teacup standing beside Mitch, Hutch's brother, on the threshold of the balcony at the opposite end of the room. Hutch and Mitch had the same thick grey fur, dark orange eyes, and broad-shouldered build; however, Hutch had a black tail and ears with a cluster of black spots on his rump, while Mitch had a white tail-tip and toes. At their arrival, Mitch strode toward his brother, giving Pearl a brief once-over and making her fur tingle. The two toms touched noses, unspoken words passing between them, and then they bounded out the doorway and over the railing, matching each other stride for stride.

Pearl stood near the bedroom doorway, unsure if she should follow. It wasn't long before Teacup padded up to her. "What are you waiting for?" she demanded, a strange gleam in her eye. "We have to go before we get shut in." The creamy she-cat nodded quickly, not trusting her voice to be steady, and ran alongside the dark queen as she raced across the cold floor of the balcony and cleared the railing in a single leap. Pearl skidded to a halt and jumped carefully onto the railing, stunned. Below her, she saw the older she-cat standing safely on a stone ledge ringing the next building over.

Her heart pounded with sudden terror as she stared at the dizzying drop between the two structures. Cold wind pushed into her eyes and nose, stinging her skin through the shorter fur on her face, and she quickly pulled her head back. She met Teacup's wild golden gaze. "Hurry up and jump," the black queen called, the distance stealing the volume of her voice. The younger she-cat shook her head furiously.

"There's no way I can make it!" she replied, her voice trembling with nerves.

"You'll be fine! Just trust your instincts."

Pearl swallowed hard and shut her eyes, picturing herself standing next to Teacup on the ledge. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her ratting pulse, and reopened her eyes to stare across the gap at her destination. Almost unbidden, the muscles in her haunches coiled, and she rocked back and forth slowly, gathering her strength. Her head spun as all her senses honed in on the spot, and she felt adrenalin pulse throughout her body. After a still moment, she release all the power in her hind legs, sending herself flying across the gap.

Wind screamed in her ears and raked its fingers through her long fur. Her forelegs stretched out in front of her, ready to kiss the stone glistening with dew. The world flew by, a blur of browns and grays, and any fears of falling were carried away by the wind. She felt as though she was flying, soaring through the open air, until her paws met stone and she landed. Instead of crumpling, like she expected, her forelegs and shoulders absorbed the impact, and her belly fur brushed the ledge as her legs gathered underneath her. She stood, entire tail-lengths between her and Teacup, her eyes gleaming with the thrill and excitement. Energy made her body tremble. Her cerulean gaze met Teacup's golden.

"Let's go!" she exclaimed breathlessly. The dark she-cat grinned, and the two of them raced side by side into the city.

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><p><strong>AN: No promises, but you can expect quicker updates for now on.**


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